1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a hand held portable reel having multiple storage purposes, particularly for Christmas string of lights.
2. Description of Prior Art
Originally, holiday strings of lights or other light weight materials were wrapped around a device using inconvenient techniques, cumbersome designs, and storage disadvantages. However a lightweight, portable, and durable device was needed not just for winding holiday lights, or storing the lights for tangle free storage until the next year, but a device that would allow an individual to place or remove a string of lights onto tree branches by simply holding a reel in one hand and using the other hand to place light onto branches. Another need is a device that allows a string of lights to be wrapped, tangle free, onto a storage device directly off the tree. None of the hand reels known completely satisfy this need.
The Christmas light storage reel in U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,323 to Don Wing 1990 Apr. 17, is not only limited to a manual wrapping of a string of lights, the device requires extensive back and forth hand motion from various sockets to pass through slots to complete the wrap process.
The Christmas light storage reel in U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,067 to James D, and Molly J. McAllister, 1991 Nov. 12, is also limited to manual wrapping of a string of lights requiring care to ensure wired string of lights are inserted and hand guided between tooth like projections.
The Christmas light storage reel in U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,965 to John E. Miller 1994 Feb. 22, is made of a gradual deteriorating material. The device is purchased unassembled and contains multiple corrugated cardboard pieces that the customer must put together.
The Christmas light storage reel in U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,985 to Sandy C. Winesett 1997 Feb. 4, requires an object, such as a table, to be placed near a Christmas tree to place the device on in order to operate the crank for winding lights onto the cylinder. This device also limits an individual from being able to go around the tree to place lights onto tree branches. Normally, households have many strings of lights. Stacking other like reels on top of each other for shelf storage would require caution.
The Christmas light storage reel in U.S. Pat. No. 05,957,401 to Patricia Sessum O'Donnell 1999 Sep. 28, is limited to manual wrapping a string of lights around a bulky spool. Additionally, to rotate a string of lights onto the spool, the device needs to be suspended on a stationary object, such as a ladder.